Speakers blast ‘blended’ option

By Tom Lappas, Citizen Editor

12/06/12

School redistricting and parents don't always blend well. The Henrico County School Board learned that tonight during a public hearing about the redistricting process that will set boundaries for the new Kaechele Elementary School in Short Pump and impact other schools in the region.

Most of the 42 speakers who addressed the board during the hearing at Hermitage High School made it clear: they don't like the school system's "blended" redistricting option.

They – and a vast majority of the overall attendees – expressed strong opposition to the option, which was created by school officials in recent weeks in an attempt to combine portions of the two primary redistricting options under consideration.

School Board Chairwoman Diana Winston had sought a blended option in part to determine if West Broad Street could be used as a dividing line for elementary school boundaries. But the option devised by school planners would involve moving too many students for questionable reasons while pushing Gayton Elementary School – currently well below capacity – more than 200 students above capacity, a number of speakers said.

Those who opposed the blended option also were critical of the process that led to its creation, arguing that it was not subjected to the same rigorous process of consideration by the 24-member volunteer redistricting committee as were the committee's other options.

"You have a luxury to plan below capacity for schools now and in the next 4 years by choosing either Option 1 or 2," said speaker Wendell Gore, a parent of Gayton Elementary School students. "The blended option does not allow that luxury. So why would you not take that opportunity?"

Winston began the hearing by acknowledging the opposition to the blended option, telling those in attendance that the outcome for Gayton would be unacceptable to the board, and that board members only would approve a plan that kept all elementary schools affected under capacity.

That seemed to allay concerns of many attendees, but it didn't prevent them from blasting the blended option anyway. Two speakers specifically asked the board to remove the option from consideration before or during its Dec. 13 work session. The board intends to adopt a boundary for Kaechele at its evening meeting that same day.

"I feel like I'm beating a dead horse, but let me try to put one more bullet in that horse if I can," speaker Terry James told the board, urging it to reject the option.

"The problem is, there are too many students south of Broad and not enough students north of Broad, and the new school is north of Broad because of anticipated development," speaker Patrick Barbier said to loud applause. "It's a bad option because it's based on bad policy. Make it right."

One speaker who did support the blended option was Liz Harden, whose neighborhood currently is in the Pemberton zone and would remain there as part of that option. The other two options, Harden said, would cut Pemberton's population to about 80 percent of its capacity and slice away families who devote significant volunteer hours to the school.

"If we lose such a large section of our support, it is likely that the PTA will not be able to continue these programs," Harden said.

Several speakers representing Ridge Elementary School had similar concerns, telling the board not to approve any plan that would move a significant portion of active volunteer families away in order to keep the Nottingham Green apartment community (and its 160 students) together at the school.

Speakers tonight who supported Option 1 said that that option would best satisfy the goals of the process by moving the fewest number of students (about 1,000) and keeping all affected schools under capacity through 2016. Those who voiced support for Option 2 did so primarily because it would send their students to the school preferred by the majority of their neighborhoods. A majority of the redistricting committee itself also supports Option 2.

St. Joseph's Villa’s Flagler Housing & Homeless Services was one of three entities to earn the National Alliance to End Homelessness' Champion of Change Award. The awards were presented Nov. 17 during a ceremony at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

Flagler completed its transition from an on-campus shelter to the community-based model of rapid rehousing in 2013, and it was one of the nation's first rapid re-housing service providers to be certified by NAEH. > Read more.

Richmond International Raceway's 13th annual Community Christmas tree lighting has been rescheduled from Dec. 6 to Monday, Dec. 12, at 6:30 p.m., due to inclement weather expected on the original date.

Entertainment Dec. 12 will be provided by the Laburnum Elementary School choir and the Henrico High School Mighty Marching Warriors band. Tree decorations crafted by students from Laburnum Elementary School and L. Douglas Wilder Middle School will be on display. Hot chocolate and cookies will be supplied by the Henrico High School football boosters. > Read more.

It’s going to be a cold weekend so if you’re headed out to the James River Parade of Lights or the Richmond Road Runners Club Toy Run 5K in Innsbrook, you’d better bundle up! If you’re looking for some indoor ways to celebrate the holidays, check out Three-Penny Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story for Christmas” or “To Drive the Cold Winter Away: An Irish Celebration of the Returning Light” at the Unitarian Universalist Community Church in Glen Allen. Also this weekend – the Henrico Theatre will show the holiday classic “Home Alone." For all our top picks this weekend, click here! > Read more.

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The American Youth Harp Ensemble will present “Harp! The Herald Angels Play!” at 3 p.m. at Seventh Street Christian Church, 4101 Grove Ave. The concert is for the entire family and will feature over fifty harpists and singers, ages 7-18, performing beloved holiday classics. The Virginia Choristers will open with a choral prelude at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for seniors and children. For details, call 837-9355 or visit http://www.americanharpensemble.com.
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